Sawmill-nigger.



J. A. GILLARD. SAWMILL NIGGBR.

APPLIOATION FILED MALE, 1906. 91 3,640. Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

J. A. GILLARD.

SAWMILL NIGGER. APPLICATION FILED 14mm, 1905.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

2 BHBET8-SHEET 2.

JOSEPH A. GILLARD, OF WINTON, MINNESOTA.

SAWMILL-NIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Application filed March 6, 1905. Serial No. 248,457.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. GILLARD, citizen of the United States,residing at Winton, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SawmilLNiggers; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to what is generally known in the trade as doublecylinder steam niggers, and has for its especial object to improve thenigger bar cushion mechanism thereof.

To the above ends, the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a View in elevation, showing my improved device applied to asteam nigger, and showing also a log carriage, said parts being chieflyshown in diagram. Figs. 2 and 3 are views in transverse verticalsection, showing portions of the toothed nigger bar, of the floor plate,and of the front stop bar; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the partsshown in Figs. 2 and 3, some parts being broken away.

The numeral 1 indicates the floor of one story, and the numeral 2 thefloor of an overlying story, upon which floor 2 are secured rails 3 overwhich runs the usual log carriage 4.

The-character 2 indicates a log located on the carriage 4.

The numeral 5 indicates the cylinders of a pair of straight linereciprocating engines, mounted at their lower ends on the floor 1, andhaving the upwardly projecting ends of their piston rods 6 connected tothe lower prongs of a nigger bar 7, which nigger bar works upwardthrough the floor 2, with its upper end located in the vicinity of thelower edge of the usual inclined log deck 8.

The numeral 9 indicates a bifurcated bracket, usually designated as thefloor plate of the nigger bar cushion. The nigger ar 7, at least at itsupper portion, is made up of a pair of laterally spaced flat bars to,and between which, are pivoted a plurality of teeth or dogs 10. Stoppins or similar devices 11 rigidly connect the laterally spaced membersof the nigger bar 7, and these are located in position to limit thedownward movements of the teeth 10, when the same are projected foraction on the log.

The upper portion of the nigger bar 7 works freely through thebifurcated floor plate or bracket 9, and when thrown forward, bearsagainst a vertically disposed flat T-shaped stop plate 12 which isremovably secured to the floor plate or bracket 9. Hitherto it has beencustomary to section or form the stop plate in two parts, so spaced thatthe teeth of the nigger bar project therethrough. Vith suchconstruction, the friction between the nigger bar and the stop platerapidly wears both away, and produces beveled edges on both thereof.

My improved stop plate forms a complete and continuous bearing surfacefor the forward edge of the nigger bar and, under downward movements ofthe said nigger bar, causes the pivoted teeth or dogs 10 to turn upwardand backward between the laterally spaced members of the said niggerbar, as shown in Fig. 2. Under an upward movement of the nigger bar, thesaid teeth or dogs are held in retracted positions until they arecarried above the stop plate 12, whereupon, one after the other, theyare permitted to drop pivotally into operative positions shown in Fig.3.

The numeral 13 indicates the cushioning springs, which react in theusual way on a rear stop plate 14 and on long nutted bolts 15, whichbolts act yieldingly to hold the outer stop plate 12 in workingposition. The said stop plate 12, at its central ortion, is extendeddownward, so that it wi act upon all of the dogs 10 under the lowermostposition of the nigger bar.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the stop plate 12serves two important novel functions; to wit, first, by reason of itsbroad flat surface which is in engagement with the nigger bar during thereciprocatory movement of the latter it prevents the rapid wear betweenthe bar and the plate which is a common objection in the former types ofguides, such wear resulting in the beveling of the edges of the oldtypes of bifurcated or divided guide plates as well as the edges of thenigger bar, thereby causing the nigger bar frequently to wedge or chockin the worn plate; second, the plate 9 being extended downward for aconsiderable distance forms an elongated bearing surface for the niggerbar and also the engaging surface for all of the teeth 10 on the niggerbar which lie below the upper edge of said plate, thereby preventing anyof said teeth from passing below the lower edge of the plate.

' W hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is as follows:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a niggerbar and means for reciprocating and oscillating the same, said niggerbar having pivoted teeth projecting therefrom, of a floor bracketthrough which said nigger bar is mounted to work, and a flat stop plateapplied to said bracket and extending across the front edge of saidnigger bar and with which the teeth of said bar engage, and which stopplate extends downward to a point as low as the position occupied by thelowermost tooth of said bar under the lowermost position of said bar,substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a niggerbar 7 and means for reciprocating the same, the upper portion of saidnigger bar being bifurcated and provided with pivoted dogs working inthe bifurcations thereof, a bifurcated floor plate 9 anchored to asuitable support and through the bifurcation of which said nigger barworks freely, a flat T shaped stop plate 12 removably secured to saidfloor plate 9 and projecting below said floor plate, said T shaped stopplate 12 spanning the nigger bar passage of said floor plate, therebyaffording a hearing for the forward portion of said nigger bar, andserving to force said pivoted dogs into retracted positions under thedownward movement of said bar, and to hold said pivoted dogs in theirretracted positions until said bar is again moved upward and out of Ithe said floor plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH A; GILLARD.

Witnesses G. F. VVENTWORTH, ALFRED JUHRE.

